And the Winner Is...  “If you don't think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement and where the power in the Republican Party truly lies, then you're not paying attention,” — Matt Gaetz to Steve Bannon Wednesday morning.  —  And of course, he was right.

Republican Speaker Nominee Mike Johnson Has a Plan to Avoid a November Shutdown  —  House Republican speaker nominee Mike Johnson is working to convince ultraconservatives to avert a Nov. 18 government shutdown, a signal that even hardliners in the GOP may be willing to compromise on a short-term spending deal.

At least 16 dead, dozens wounded in Lewiston shootings; police give few details on overnight search for gunman  —  A commercial man lift falls off trailer and blocks Route 4 in Rangeley  —  Hundreds of new laws take effect in Maine Wednesday.  Here's what you need to know

Colo. judge rejects Trump's bid to toss lawsuit aimed at keeping him off 2024 ballot  —  The lawsuit seeks to bar the former president from the state's 2024 ballot over his connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.  —  A Colorado judge on Wednesday denied the latest attempt …

Statement from President Joe Biden on the Shooting in Lewiston, Maine  —  Once again, our nation is in mourning after yet another senseless and tragic mass shooting.  Today, Jill and I are praying for the Americans who've lost their lives, for those still in critical care, and for the families …

Bowman pleads guilty to misdemeanor for pulling fire alarm in House office building  —  Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor for falsely pulling a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building last month ahead of a key House vote.  —  Bowman appeared …

Robert Card: What we know about Maine shooting person of interest  —  Maine police have identified a person of interest in the mass shootings across the state Wednesday night that left at least 18 dead and dozens injured.  —  The Lewiston Maine Police Department identified 40-year-old Robert Card as a …

Democrats' Rating of Biden Slips; Overall Approval at 37%  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden's job approval rating among Democrats has tumbled 11 percentage points in the past month to 75%, the worst reading of his presidency from his own party.  This drop has pushed his overall approval rating …

Exclusive: Fulton County DA has discussed plea deals with at least 6 more Trump co-defendants  —  Fulton County prosecutors have discussed potential plea deals with at least six additional co-defendants charged alongside Donald Trump for attempting to subvert the 2020 presidential election, multiple sources tell CNN.

U.S. economy grows at blockbuster pace in third quarter  —  GDP grew at an annual rate of 4.9 percent from July to September, the highest reading since 2021  —  The U.S. economy grew by an annual rate of 4.9 percent in the third quarter, the strongest pace since 2021, as spending …

Mitt Romney is the fixed point revealing the Republicans' slide  —  A new biography shows how far that slide has gone  —  So a politician in the evening of his career, with a vast family, a rich spiritual life and great wealth to fall back upon, summoned the nerve to declare …